Saving Primary Sanders | A Sander Sides Book

IV - Barrapport

Yikes! One day late but I hope the time I took re-editing this chapter only made it better!

Later that evening...

We are at a bar, not that busy, maybe around five patrons, despite it being Friday night. Revel yourself at the ambiance of the dimmed spotlights that line the ceiling, elegant furnishings that circle the dance floor and the brick-finish walls punctuated with oil paintings and bottles in ships and action figurines. Please note that, this is no seedy establishment tucked away at the dead-end of an alleyway in the red-light district, but The Publican, which sits at the tail end of Dionysus Boulevard, which is as fancy as a bar can possibly get. Inside, the oak counter is shaped liked a horseshoe around the sleepy young barkeeper, who is wiping away at the speckled wet rings on the polished surface from cold drinks left without coasters.

"Hooligans!" mutters Logan, who has a coaster under his drink, as well as a couple of tissues for good measure, one below the coaster and one above. He chose a simple mug of unchilled beer, but it stays untouched before him. He sighs at the newspapers before him.

"Hi, Mr Craggers!" says Patton. He switches out Logan's mug of beer with a cup of camomile tea (don't ask me how Patton got tea, The Publican's menu definitely did not include such tame beverages). Patton himself had got himself a mocktail of orange juice, soda and 95% of it was sugar syrup. He offered the barkeeper the mug of beer, but he responds that they don't take refunds. Then Patton offers it as gift, to which he replies that employees aren't supposed to drink while on duty. Patton says that he doesn't know anyone who follows rules, so why should he? The barkeeper agrees and chugs the beer.

Logan is in a slump, watching the two of them chatter with idle eyes.

"Drink up!" urges Patton. "It'll cheer you up."

Logan takes a sip of his tea, and that does cheer him up, because Logan and tea make a very calming combination.

"Bad news?" asks Patton, nodding at the stack of newspaper.

Logan shows him the headline of the front page. A blown picture of a cake-faced Thomas fills half the page, and the title above it screams Silver Sparkle Strikes Sanders.

"Silver Sparkle?" Patton giggles.

"Yes, that's what the papers call the killer. As if he didn't look enough like a Cabaret Girl or Magician's Assistant already."

"Or a stripper."

"Thanks, Patton, that's the exact image I want in my head."

"Donit worry! Everything will be alright!"

"How? Even though there have been several sightings of... Silver Sparkle... the Police were unable to find a lead. He knew exactly where my blind spot was, as I failed to capture his escape on camera. He is crafty, and always a step ahead of us."

"We will catch him!"

"That is our objective."

"Then Thomas will be safe!"

"That goes without saying."

"Will Silver Sparkle be put in jail?"

"Yes, that is how the law works. I'm sorry, are we playing a game of stating the obvious?"

"Are your sure there is no way of not locking him away up for ever?"

"He is accused of the murder of your brother. Even if he is not proven guilty of threatening The Primary, he will surely be charged against the murder. I aim to see this case closed. I despise a cold case left open for dog's years."